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« on: May 28, 2020, 10:42:12 am »
mandioca15
Credit Note (Treasure, $5)
+$2
+1 Buy
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While this is in play, when you buy a card, +1 Credit.
Credit tokens are essentially like coffers. During your turn, you may return N credit tokens to the supply, to gain a card from the supply costing exactly $N. You can do this whenever you are not resolving a played card. The longer you let your Credits build up,the bigger the potential reward - but don't wait too long! For example, suppose you have built up 6 Credit tokens. You could return 4 to the supply to gain a Smithy, or return 6 to gain a Gold. There's also the question of when exactly during your turn you should gain the card - maybe you can time it to get the card you really want at exactly the right time.
Note that you can't return 0 Credit tokens to the supply to gain a card, so you can't use that to empty the Coppers pile (or things like Wayfarer or Destrier, if they cost 0).
Gaining a card via Credits does not count as a buy.
Might be too strong when compared to the similar Merchant Guild (which takes an action and only generates $1). Credits are both more flexible than coffers because they gain cards without using buys and less because they can’t be combined with coffers or standard coin or used in any way other than to gain cards. On balance I’d say they are weaker than coffers so the card as a whole is probably fairly costed.
I am left wondering though if there just isn’t too much complexity for the gain here. Also thematically I was hoping things like Credit Notes would be avoided.
Fragasnap
Kitsune
Types: Action, Doom
Cost: $3
+1 Card, +1 Action. You may discard the top Hex. If you do, choose one: Trash this and a card from your hand; or +1 Buy and +$2 and receive that Hex.
Aburaage
Types: Treasure
Cost: $5
This is worth $1 for each type among the cards you have in play (Action, Attack, etc.).
I really like this. Thematically it’s novel. Mechanically it’s interesting. Is it balanced? That’s tricky. Kitsune might be a bit strong but my focus has to be on Aburaage for this competition. Here I think it’s fair. It could be worth $1 or it could be worth more than $3. It’s kingdom dependant and that’s not a bad thing. So balance, flavour and interesting mechanics, well done. I could see this spawning Aburaage decks that would be fun to play and play against.
Mr. Hitech
Divine Favor (Treasure, cost $6+)
$2
-
When you buy this, gain a Wish from its pile. You may also overpay $1 for this, to put the gained Wish on top of your deck.
Nice and simple while still giving me choice. The flavour makes sense and while I was hoping for more concrete objects like fish heads, Divine Favor works conceptually too. Balance is a possible problem because you are basically paying 6 for a silver and a card costing 6 (or less) with the bonus of avoiding things like embargoes and tax on that second card and with the benefit of having a big chunky card in Divine Favour you can trash for gain. Also wishes grant incredible flexibility when used.
So would you ever buy that 6 cost card normally? Yes, if you really didn’t want the bonus “silver” clogging up an engine or it was a duchy you wanted and the game might end before you draw your wish or other rare scenarios.
All in all a solid effort but I have reservations about whether it is a must buy over gold in too many scenarios.
mad4math
Cow
$5 - Treasure
Worth $2
When you discard this from play during Clean-up, if you haven't bought any Victory cards this turn, you may put this on top of the deck.
This reminds me of Stash. A consistent silver is not bad but if I hit 5 I like the gooey feeling of gaining something generally better. I know its design laziness to do so but I think sticking a +Buy on this would make it more viable. Or if Port could give you two villages for 4 maybe this card could give you two for one as well. I like the theme.
Xtra
Meat/Salt
Meat Cost:$3 Treasure
When you play this, once a turn; remove a Spoilage token if you have any or take 4 of them if you don’t. This is worth $1 per Spoilage token you have.
Salt Cost: $2 Treasure
$2
When you play this you cannot remove your spoilage tokens this turn. You can still take them.
This is a fun pair of cards. I just don’t like how you gain Spoilage tokens out of thin air just because you have none though. It has to happen for the card to be useful but thematically… well thematically it’s no worse than a whole bunch of dominion cards I guess… but it grates on me.
I feel like a great idea is here and needs further refinement. Perhaps a better plan would be have the Meat cost 4 minus the number of spoilage tokens you have (and you start with none) and then playing a meat gains you one and playing a salt removes one.
The core of the idea – of a treasure that ebbs and flows in value - is really cool. It reminds me a little of all those Gathering cards which are fun to play with.
Something_Smart
SHAMAN Cost 5 Action
+2 Cards, +1 Action, Discard a card.
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At the start of clean up , if this is in play and there are no cards you have more than one copy of in play , trash this and gain a Mystic Stone
MYSTIC STONE
Cost 5* Treasure - Victory
$2 Set aside a card from your hand face-down on your Mystic Stone mat
_
Worth 1VP per 2 differently named cards on your Mystic Stone Mat.
My real doubts about this is whether it is overpriced. Its not too hard to get a Mystic stone as I can forgo two turns (one buying the Shaman and one playing the Shaman and only one treasure) to pick the Mystic Stone up. For a good enough prize forgoing two turns is ok. Its about what an Overlord costs early game.
But the Mystic stone is not going to be worth it if all I remove are estates, coppers and curses and the odd silver. And if I remove other better cards I will be hurting myself. I also do wish you had changed it to Exile. I didn’t feel I should say anything during the competition but it would clear up the confusion about whether cards on the Mystic stone count towards victory at the end (as curses or provinces for example). I get from your comments they do. Also it would give me other ways to put cards towards its value without having to draw them with my Mystic Stone first.
Nice to see a bit of druidic flavour too.
D782802859
Cowrie Cost
$2 Put this on your Tavern mat.
____
At the start of your buy phase you may call this for +2 cards then you may put a card from your hand on top of your deck.
I really like this. Its novel and it retaught me a word I had forgotten. Also I think it really rises to the challenge of the treasure that costs 4 and makes $2. (which is only slightly less difficult than the challenge of designing a new treasure that costs 3 and makes $2). You need to make something that isn’t a silver but is remarkably close to silver because in dominion the difference between a 3 card and 4 card is minimal. Did you do it? Or did you fly too close to the sun, young Icarus?
I think you did it. I don’t want a Cowrie more than I want a silver in every buy that I have 4. If I am drawing my deck anyway I would rather have a silver. I do want a Cowrie slightly more – enough to land it nicely in 4? I think so.
To put it succintly an action less +2 cards is probably a $5 cost once you factor in that it happens in your buy phase on a turn you didn’t draw it and the whole reshuffle thing. And an actionless $2 is a silver at $3. So given this can alternate between the two its just right at 4.
Carline
TROPICAL FRUITS • Cost:4 • Treasure
$1
Choose one:
+1 Coffers; or
+1 Villager.
FRUIT MIX • Cost: 6 • Treasure
When you play this, it's worth $1 per different named treasure you have in play (including this).
If it's worth at least $4:
+2 Buys.
It’s a split pile with 5 Tropical Fruits over 5 Fruit Mix.
Two card submission (both treasures) is a risky strategy because one could drag the other down. I don’t think that’s the case here as both are good and despite all the discussion both are well balanced in my book.
Something about Tropical Fruits niggles at me though. Perhaps it is just that I really like the way it can gain a villager which is so novel for a treasure and I feel like that novelty is almost let down by being able to gain a coffer instead.
Overall though I like both of these cards and the synergy between them is great too. I think you found the right price point for Fruit Mix.
mail-mi
Livestock Cost 5 Treasure
+2 Cards
You may play an Action from your hand.
What a fun challenge you’ve given me to evaluate this card. You could draw two actions or an action that simply gives you more actions you can’t use (because its now your buy phase) so there is a chance it will be a dud but mostly its going to be a very effective way to fix a kingdom with a lack of + actions or even just draw past junk. I’m leaning towards considering this too strong but then because its strength is as an enabler of other cards it might not be such a problem that it’s too strong. After all this card alone isn’t going to win you anything and on a board with Witch if I start 5-2 I will probably still want to get a Witch before a Livestock.
I want to applaud its boldness but I also find myself worried. I think the decent bonus of playing an action its just too good for the cost especially with cards that can set up your deck.
[TP] Inferno
Trash Heap
$5
Treasure
$2
Gain a Scrap Metal.
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While this is in play, cards cost $1 less, but not less than $0.
Scrap Metal
$0*
Action
+1 Card
+1 Buy
Return this to its pile.
(This is not in the Supply.)
You know I would have found this so much easier to judge if you had made Trash Heap cost 6 and Scrap Metal was a straight up cantrip with a +Action as well. As it is I don’t know if I want a Scrap metal. Maybe I still do, especially given its synergy with Trash heap but aside from big money decks I probably don’t want to spend an action in this way.
Ah but that’s good isn’t it because Trash Heap only costs 5 so maybe Scrap metal is actually a drawback to stop players from going all mass Market, Forager, Trash heap for the win. Is it a drawback though? Is it a big enough one?
So my real question is, why do you hate me?
Seriously I’m going to give this a double thumbs up because if I have to think this hard while judging then I’ll have to do the same in a game which is fun.
Honestly very well balanced.
Swan - Treasure, $0* cost.
$2
When you next buy a non-Victory card this turn, exchange this for a copy of the bought card.
(This is not in the Supply.)
And 2 gainers:
Swannery - Project, $5 cost.
When you shuffle to make a new deck, first gain a Swan.
Swanherd - Action, $5 cost.
Gain a Swan. You may trash a card from your hand, then +1 Card per card you've trashed this turn.
I really like the Swan mechanic and love the theme. It is necessary to consider both Swannery and Swanherd in order to properly evaluate Swan though and that isn’t easy. A Swan is at my best quess worth between $4 and $5 if I bought it outright from the supply. But that guess is based on a lot of assumptions. I can envisage times when a swan is played and nets you nothing more than a second village for your trouble. Or is no more than a silver that turn.
With that in mind I turn to the gainers . If you dont have access to it before your first shuffle Swannery won’t always be worth investing in later but I think that’s alright for projects. If you can thin your deck it becomes much better. The problem is that it probably gives people with a 5-2 start too much of an advantage – even if all their first swan gains them is a village. Because Swans don’t require actions they can even be drawn into by smithys which also increases your number of shuffles. If only there was an elegant way of preventing its super early purchase. Maybe when you buy the project you also gain an estate?
Swanherd on the other hand almost feels overpriced but probably only because it reminds me of Priest. It’s probably good at 5.
Definitely a great effort.
spineflu
Bee • $0 • Treasure
Choose one:
Cards cost $1 less this turn;
or +1 Buy.
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Setup: Remove the top 3 cards of the Coppers Supply pile per player; replace them with as many Bees.
When a card tells you to gain a Copper, gain a Bee instead if it is available in the Supply.
Given that Bee is being used as slang for a coin I am not sure this stays inside the challenges parameters but I like the card enough to consider it as if they were actual bees (which are delicacies in some cultures).
I like the way you could try and buy up all the bees for a bee strategy and I like how this leaves you with a choice about how to play each one. Ultimately though I don’t see bees being bought unless there are other +buys on the board, not because they are too weak for their cost but because you generally don’t want more 0 cost cards at all. Its therefore good you gave players other ways to gain them (with Count comes to mind).
I’m honestly torn about this. On one hand a great little game changer but often I fear it will lay there untouched. A worthy contender that I would slip into the right kingdoms.
alionme
Seeds Cost $4 Treasure
Trash this. If you did, gain an Action card costing differently from any card you have in play. You may discard a Treasure card from your hand, to put the gained card on top of your deck.
There’s a lot to like here. The mechanic fits the theme elegantly but I’m concerned this is still too strong. It does have a nice fix though to prevent it being a regular investment through something like workshop gaining seeds to become whatever, as gradually it will be able to gain nothing at all. My concern is those high costing actions including ones with potion costs or debt which now become easy to gain but you could argue this card is no different from Lurker in that regard.
Ultimately this idea is going to suffer this week from my very subjective dislike of Lurker’s work around high card costs.
stechafle
$? Wool $?
Worth $4 if no other player has Wool in play. Otherwise worth $2.
At the start of your next turn, +2 Cards, and put a card from your hand onto your deck.
$5 Treasure Duration
Dominion can lack interactivity. I enjoy cards that bring more into the game by obliging me to watch what you buy and change what I buy accordingly. I guess there’s still the question whether I need to nerf your Wool with my own or whether that costs me as much as it costs you. Great questions to grapple with in a game. Nothing like hearing your opponent groan based on your purchase. The more I ponder this card the more I find it surprisingly well costed too. A lot of balancing going on.
The flavour connection is a little thin but I get it. There’s scope here for a whole Settlers of Catan themed expansion.
Wool, Cowrie and Trash heap/Scrap Metal are my super close top three. And that's from a group of amazing cards.
Literally because I have to pick one I choose Cowrie by the thinnest of hairs.
